The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1887-06-03
Our Washington Letter
From Our Regular Correspondent.

The great National Drill which has alb
sorbed all Washington and its many visit
ors for the past week draws to close to-
day. In fact the Drill proper has closed !,
but the distribution of prizes will not be
made formally until this afternoon, and
until their foi NAL presentation it can not
be accurately known in each insta nee who
the winners really are. The verdict from
the grand stand was promptly rendered af-
ter every contest, of course, during the
progress of the Drill, but the verdict from
the judges stand, composed of experienced
army officers, whose practiced and critical
eyes are supposed to loose sight of nothing
that is in the slightest, defective either in
the manual of arms or in the eyolutions of
of the soldiers, cannot be expected to cor
respond always with that of the people.
Some surprises are in store.
The Drill has been splendid specta-
Gle Notwithstanding the disadvantages it
has encountered from rain and cyclones.
The greater portion of each day has been
beautiful, the soldiers have marched we'll
and drilled we'll and paraded well and
looked we'll in their variously designed,
and in many instances gorgeous uniforms.
There has been grand gathering of them
from thirty-oue different States, and they
represent the flower ofthe country's militia.
They have had'a good time together, and
the Drill will prove of great advantage to
the citizen soldiery in many respects.
The camp has been quite a magnet to the
people of Washington and to the strangers
here. 1t has been visited daily by people
of both sexes and of all ages and sizes, and
colors and conditions, who were curions to
see how time was passed in the city OF
tents. The camp was astir at an early
hour each morning, and the companies
who were to participate in the competitive
drills each day always retired early to a
man on the evening previous, and the
guards were kept on duty all night with
strict orders to arrest any comrade who
should attempt to leave quarters. Such
strict discipline was unnecessary however.
as every man felt anxious to be in good
condition and took. special pride in the
approaching contests.
But all night long many of the soldie,
boys were prowling around playing al
sorts of pranks on their companions, utter
ly ignoring all military rules and defyine
the guards. College songs and popula,
airs formed portion of their pastime
and merry shouts of laughter disturbed the
otherwise peaceful slumbers of the silent
soldiers and rang ont clear on the evening
air long distance from the camp ground
The liveliest interest has centeresd in the
contest of the infantry companies which
were drilling for the $4,000 prize. Or
Wednesday, one of the field days o.
the Drill. the drill of the cele-
brated Lomax Rifles of Mobile, was ex-
pected to be the event of the day. Thi.
is called the crack organization of the
South and it was thought it would ia ke
the shine off of every thing as it had done
in the past.
1t was very handsome company of mer
in snow white duck pants, dark blues
helmet with white plumes waving
and white gloves. Their drilling
began and a rare exhibition it was
They first stacked arms and then wen
through number of evolutiona with won
derful precision and accuracy. In tn,
manual they were as good as any who had
drilled up to that time, and in fixing bay
onets, they were almost perfect. In lyine
down and firing-which they did excellent
ly-two of their number met with the I'M
fortunate accident of losing their helmets
which their captain, of course. replaced or
their heads. The captain, too, failed tt
lie down with his company, and stood i'm
mediately in front of it while the frine
was going on, both of which were consider
ed gross errors by military critics and will
be scored against them. In all of the double
quick movements the Alabama boys were
finely drilled. and their firing was like on,
shot except in one instance, when the ex-
plosion was not simultaneous.
But an unexpected treat was in store fol
the audience in the drilling of two compan
les from Texas, the Belknap Rifles and the
San Antonio Rifles, who have talked very
modestly of themselves since they have
been here. They had not been on the
ground five minutes until it was seen thai
they we're dark horses for first place. Be-
fore they had half finished the programme
handed their captain by the judges they
had made partisans, and like the Toledo
Cadets who drilled the day before, they
were applauded to the echo.
| Death of the Peaches.